Frank Wess

Frank Wess From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Frank Wess

Frank Wess (left) and Jimmy Owens (1977)

Background information

Born

January 4, 1922 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.

Died

October 30, 2013 (aged 91) Manhattan, New York, U.S.

Genres

Jazz

Occupations

Musician

Instruments

Tenor saxophone Alto Saxophone Flute

Years active

1950s – 2013

Frank Wellington Wess (January 4, 1922 – October 30, 2013) was an American jazz saxophonist and flautist. Contents [hide]

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1 Biography

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2 Discography

o

2.1 As leader

o

2.2 As sideman

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3 References

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4 External links

Biography[edit] Wess was born in Kansas City, MO, the son of a principal father and a schoolteacher mother. He began with classical music training and played in Oklahoma in high school. He later switched to jazz on moving to Washington, D. C. and by nineteen was working with Big Bands. His career was interrupted during World War II although he did play with a military band in the period. After leaving the military, he joined Billy Eckstine's orchestra.[1] He returned to Washington DC a few years afterwards and received a degree in flute at the city's Modern School Of Music. From 1953 he joined Count Basie's band, playing flute and tenor sax. He reverted to alto sax in the late '50s, and left Basie's band in 1964. From 1959 to 1964 he won Down Beat's critic poll for flute. He was a member of Clark Terry's big band from 1967 into the 1970s and played in the New York Jazz Quartet (with Roland Hanna).[2] He also did a variety of work for TV.[3] In 1968 Wess contributed to the landmark album The Jazz Composer's Orchestra. In the 1980s and 1990s, he worked with Kenny Barron, Rufus Reid, Buck Clayton, Benny Carter, Billy Taylor, Harry Edison, Mel Tormé, Ernestine Anderson, Louie Bellson, John Pizzarelli,Howard Alden, Dick Hyman, Jane Jarvis, Frank Vignola and was a featured member of the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra. In the 2000s, Wess released two albums with Hank Jones. In 2007, Wess was named an NEA Jazz Master by the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts. Frank Wess died from a heart attack related to kidney failure on October 30, 2013.[4][5]

Discography[edit] As leader[edit] 

Jazz for Playboys (Savoy, 1957)

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Wheelin' & Dealin' (Prestige, 1957)

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Opus De Blues (Savoy, 1959)

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The Frank Wess Quartet (Moodsville, 1960)

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Southern Comfort (Prestige, 1962)

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Yo Ho! Poor You, Little Me (Prestige, 1963)

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Wess to Memphis (1970)

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Flute of the Loom (1973)

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Two for the Blues (1983)

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Two at the Top (Uptown, 1983)

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Entre Nous (Concord. 1990)

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Going Wess (1993)

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Tryin' To Make My Blues Turn Green (Concord, 1994)

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Hank and Frank (2002)

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Hank and Frank II (2009)

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Magic 101 (IPO, 2013)

As sideman[edit] With Toshiko Akiyoshi 

Carnegie Hall Concert

With Gene Ammons 

Velvet Soul (Prestige, 1960 [1964])

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Angel Eyes (Prestige, 1960 [1965])

With Dorothy Ashby 

The Jazz Harpist (Regent, 1957)

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In a Minor Groove (New Jazz, 1958)

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Hip Harp (Prestige, 1958)

With Count Basie 

One O'Clock Jump (1957)

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E=MC² (1957)

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April in Paris (1957)

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Ella and Basie! (1963)

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First Time! The Count Meets the Duke (1961)

With Bobby Hutcherson 

Conception: The Gift of Love (Columbia, 1979)

With Milt Jackson 

Meet Milt Jackson (Savoy, 1955)

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Opus de Jazz (Savoy, 1955)

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Bags & Flutes (Atlantic, 1957)

With Elvin Jones 

Elvin! (Riverside, 1961–62)

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And Then Again (Atlantic, 1965)

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Time Capsule (Vanguard, 1977)

With Thad Jones 

Olio (Prestige, 1957)

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After Hours (Prestige, 1957)

With Yusef Lateef 

Part of the Search (Atlantic, 1973)

With Arif Mardin 

Journey (Atlantic, 1974)

With Charles McPherson 

Today's Man (Mainstream, 1973)

With Oliver Nelson 

The Spirit of '67 with Pee Wee Russell (Impulse!, 1967)

With Chico O'Farrill 

Nine Flags (Impulse!, 1966)

With Houston Person 

Sweet Buns & Barbeque (Prestige, 1972)

With Woody Shaw 

Rosewood (Columbia, 1977)

With Zoot Sims 

Passion Flower: Zoot Sims Plays Duke Ellington (1979) [6]

With Melvin Sparks 

Akilah! (Prestige, 1972)

With Leon Spencer 

Where I'm Coming From (Prestige, 1973)

With Billy Taylor 

Billy Taylor with Four Flutes (Riverside, 1959)

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Kwamina (Mercury, 1961)